Reece named to second Pro Bowl

In a bit of a surprise, fullback Marcel Reece was named to the Pro Bowl on Friday night, the only Raiders player to be honored. It’s his second straight time being picked, and the only reason it’s a surprise is that the coaching staff has often forgot about him this season.

Just last week against the Chargers, Reece didn’t get any carries but cornerback Taiwan Jones did. Oakland did throw deep to a fullback, but it was incomplete to Reece’s backup, Jamize Olawale.

Reece rushed for 218 yards on 46 attempts, averaging 4.7 yards per carry, this season. Plus he had 31 catches for 320 yards

Players are selected by a vote of fans, players and coaches. The game will be played Jan. 27 in Honolulu.

“First off, it’s an honor to be recognized amongst the elite players in the NFL,” Reece said in a statement. “I just want to say thank you to my family and my teammates for allowing to be myself and play at a high level, and also say thank you, last but not least, to the Raider Nation for showing their continuous support throughout the season and my career.”

Reece has never complained about his role and for the second straight season, stepped up when running backs were injured. With Rashad Jennings and Darren McFadden out aganst the Jets three weeks ago, Reece rushed for a career-high 123 yards on 19 carries, including a 63-yard scoring run, and had two catches for 38 yards.

In September, the Raiders signed Reece to a three-year contract extension worth as much as $13 million with $7.2 million guaranteed. Which makes it all the more odd that Dennis Allen and offensive coordinator Greg Olson gave Reece three or fewer touches in nine of the Raiders’ 15 games.